


Celestial

by rastaorange



Category: Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: M/M, Space AU, fluff and long distance blues, ssparapines 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 04:58:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5526197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rastaorange/pseuds/rastaorange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For fantasticmrlc, who requested "parapines in space." I hope you like it!</p><p>An AU where both the Babcocks and Pines are accepted into a space program and live in a community aboard a large spacecraft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Moon

The gentle whirring and humming of all the devices in Norman's room lulled him to sleep each night he wasn't dealing with a bout of his acute insomnia. Little noises coming from fans or processors or the inner workings of the ship had become part of the soundtrack to his life aboard _Gravity._ Only now, Norman wasn't able to sleep. No matter how hard he pleaded and prayed to whatever higher beings were out there, he remained wide awake. With a grumpy huff, the boy rolled over onto his side, now facing the wall next to his bed. Soft holiday lights had been strung up on his walls, glowing blue and green and casting a colored tint over the space. Pictures from both before and after the ship's launch hung above the boy, familiar faces beaming down at him.Including those of Dipper and Mabel Pines.Norman shook away the thoughts bothering him.  _Stop it. It's been over three months. You're gonna have to just get over it,_ he told himself.  _Everyone else has moved on. Why can't you?_ The disappearance of the Pines family had been rough on many in the community, especially those that had been close with them. Norman couldn't believe they'd already been lost for three months. 92 days if he was being exact.That was 92 days without Mabel walking right into his family's apartment every morning before school like she was lived there, her twin trailing behind. That was 92 days without Dipper sitting next to him on the train ride to the learning center, his knee right knee and elbow bumping with Norman's left side. That was 92 days without Dipper making shitty jokes in the one class they had together (a simple chemistry course they'd both ended up taking that year), causing Norman to either roll his eyes or have to try to hide his snickering. That was 92 days without Mabel trading her jello for Norman's slice of cake in the cafeteria at mealtime, 92 days without Dipper coming over after school to watch old movies that were from long before the launch of the ship, 92 days without the Pines twins in his life.Norman closed his eyes, memories flooding over him.

* * *

A thirteen year old boy stood beside his family and a cluster of luggage in a long line that stretched across a landing platform that was the length of at least two city blocks.

He'd been standing in that spot for quite a while.A buzzing mix of fear and excitement had been resting in his stomach while they waited for their turns to board the massive craft in front of them. The ship,  _Gravity_ , had been much larger than he had anticipated, and the thought of living aboard it for the next five years was crazy to him.A year ago, his parents had applied for the project, and nine months ago, the Babcock family had received a letter informing them that they'd been approved. Six months ago, he'd started a series of tests and appointments to make sure he was healthy and fit for the trip.  _Gravity_ would be the first civilization launched into space. It would be a center of learning and advancement, complete with many schools and programs for passengers to attend. Courtney, his older sister, had slumped onto the floor, her back leaning against one of her bright pink suitcases. Her thumbs were flying over her phone screen and the noticeable tears pricking at her eyes were a clear sign to Norman that she was upset.The program had made a huge impact on their family. They had always lived in the tiny town of Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts, in the same tiny house on the same tiny street. Now they'd be living in a large and new city, attending new schools and jobs, far away from their home. Norman's mother would work in the ship's health center as a therapist, and his father would be a contractor. He and Courtney would finish high school and eventually find jobs in the community.To Norman, there were some pros to the situation once he got past all the cons. There wouldn't be any ghosts on the ship, considering it was shiny and new and no one had died on it yet. He wouldn't have to worry about his ability to see the deceased getting in the way for quite a while. _Gravity_ also meant he would get to leave all of the bullies that had made his life hell back in Blithe Hollow.Norman realized that if his family hadn't been accepted into the program, they would have had to stay in their cruddy hometown. It wasn't that he hated Blithe Hollow, it was just that he knew it was hard to leave. People often ended up going to the community college nearby (Blithe Hollow High was practically invisible when it came to applying to other schools) and settling down afterwards. He wanted more than that in his life, and was thankful the opportunity to leave had come up. 

  
A quiet sigh escaped Norman's lips. Between the crowded loading station, the July heat, and the fact that he had nothing to do (his phone had died an hour ago), he was losing patience. The skinny boy eased himself down onto his red luggage and rested his chin in his palm. His gaze flickered from his parents, having a quiet conversation he didn't have much interest in, to the massive craft in front of him, and then to the families nearby.

 

Only few spots behind them in line, he noticed two kids his age standing beside two older men. One of the kids was knitting, bright green yarn piled up in their lap, and the other had his nose buried in a zombie novel, one that Norman realized was by his favorite author. The older men stood behind the children, both looking tired and worn. They were quiet.

 

The girl who was knitting suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting Norman's. She immediately flashed a smile and waggled her fingers at him, revealing a mouth full of braces and nails coated with neon yellow polish. He hesitated before waving back.

 

"Who's that?" Norman read the lips of the boy next to her ask, raising a brow. The girl shrugged in response before suddenly jumping up from her seat on the floor. Knitting needles and what looked like half of a sweater still in hand, she squeezed past other passengers waiting to board to get to the medium in front of her.

 

"Hey!" She chirped, pushing back her brunette bangs. Norman's parents and Courtney turned to see who was speaking. "My name's Mabel, and that's my brother, Dipper-" The girl gestured to the boy who had been sitting with her. He was already getting up to see what his sibling was up to, looking slightly annoyed.

 

"Mabel, you can't just go off talking to strangers like that! You know what Grunkle Stan said about being careful out here," Dipper hissed to her.

 

Mabel rolled her eyes. "It's not like they're criminals or anything, Dip! Sheesh, just trying to make friends out here. It's bad enough I had to leave Candy and Grenda and Paz behind," she muttered before seeming to remember the Babcocks were probably listening. "Anyways, sorry. You're...?" The teen turned back to Norman.

 

"Norman," he shyly introduced. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous when he noticed the irritated look on Dipper's face.

 

Mabel stuck her hand out towards him, and Norman shook it twice before shoving it back in his pocket. "Wanna come sit with us and our Grunkles?" She asked him.

 

"Grunkles...?" Norman asked as he looked over at his parents. They nodded, alright with their son going over with the twins.

 

"Great uncles," Dipper butt in before heading back to his family. Mabel grabbed Norman's hand again and dragged him back over to the luggage, already chattering away about the sweaters she would knit for him.

* * *

"Ghosts," Norman heard Dipper Pines repeat.

 

"Ghosts," the medium squeaked, his eyes squeezed shut, as if blocking Dipper from his vision would make the boy's reaction less painful.

  
There was a pause.

 

"So you can see ghosts? Like, the dead. You can see the dead?" Dipper blurted out. "Well, I mean, obviously, because you're not the type to make stuff like that up. How does it... Like..." Norman opened his eyes to see his best friend furrow his brows in thought, trying to think of how to phrase his question. 

 

"You're not upset?" Norman questioned, confusion dripping off of his soft voice.

 

Dipper scoffed. "Upset? Why would I be upset?" He shook his head. "I'm curious. Go on."

 

Norman ran his free hand through his thick, dark hair as he attempted to gather his thoughts. He'd finally worked up the courage to tell Dipper about his... _gift,_ and certainly wasn't expecting him to be so damn supportive and calm about it.

 

"Well, I can see and hear the dead. They're g-ghosts. Floating around. Sometimes they talk to me, and sometimes they ask for my help," he started. "I'm the only one in my family that's a medium. They don't really like me telling people about it. Something about giving us a bad name," Norman mumbled. 

 

"There aren't any ghosts on the ship, though," he added. Only one person had died aboard (an old woman named Katherine Wallace, who had died in her sleep and moved on to the other side with Norman's help) since the launch of _Gravity._ Norman had eventually grown used to the lack of ghosts around him. "Since, y'know, it's so new and everything."

 

Dipper slowly nodded, and Norman could tell that he was trying to be polite and not press too far into such a personal matter.

 

"People either don't believe me, o-or they get mad, I guess. Scared. Confused. I was bullied for most of my elementary and middle school years." Norman's fingers brushed against the zipper of his hoodie as he hung his head. "I was expecting you to kind of react the same way."

 

" _What?_ " Dipper's eyes widened. "Norman, I'm your best friend! I would never judge you for something like that, especially something you can't help..." He scooted closer the medium in an attempt to comfort him.

 

Norman pulled his knees close to his chest and exhaled slowly in relief.

 

"I'm here for you, dude. I'm really happy you told me this."

 

One of Dipper's arms awkwardly found its way around Norman's shoulder in some sort of comforting embrace, and they sat on the younger boy's bed like that for a moment, soft holiday lights twinkling above them. 

 

Norman blushed and quickly turned his head away so Dipper wouldn't see.

* * *

  
_You can't have a crush on him_ , Norman thought one morning on the transit ride to school.  _He's... You just can't. It wouldn't work out. He doesn't like you like that._  


He glimpsed over at the older boy sitting beside him. Dipper was laughing at his sister, who had pulled out a pad of stickers from her bag and was now placing them on his forehead. A soft sigh escaped Norman's lips.

 

_Why does it have to be him? Why would he even like you? He's funny and smart and perfectly capable of finding someone on this ship that's better for him than you._

The medium closed his eyes, his head resting against the window to his right. _But what if he did like me like that?_ His eyes quickly opened and he tried to shake the thought away. _He doesn't. He doesn't like you like that._  


"Bam!" Mabel beamed. "Norman, what do you think of Dipper's makeover?" 

 

Norman looked over his best friend and smiled weakly. "I think he looks great," he replied as Dipper reached to slap a sticker shaped like a snowman on Norman's nose. 

 

"Mabel, I think you'd better give Norman a makeover, too," Dipper suggested with a smirk.

 

Before he could even react, Mabel was already climbing over her twin to get to Norman, sticker book in hand. Norman laughed as the girl pressed the stickers onto his pale cheeks. He quickly looked at his reflection in the train's window and smiled a little wider. 

 

"I think we both look pretty great," Dipper poked. "Ice cream cones and penguins really suit you, Norman." He jabbed his finger at one of the stickers on the boy's face, getting a quiet chuckle out of him. 

 

Norman ignored any negative thoughts that tried to worm their way into his mind as Mabel snapped a picture of the two.

* * *

The Friday that the Pines had gone missing had started out like any other. 

 

Courtney, Norman's older sister, was just about to head out to her job at the health center when Mabel pushed the front door wide open like she did every day at the same time, a bright and wide grin plastered on her rosy face. Dipper followed, his tattered black schoolbag hanging off of his droopy shoulders.

 

"Mornin', Courtney!" Mabel greeted. Courtney, still trying to shake off the grogginess that came with waking up so early, forced a weak and tired smile in response as she squeezed out of the hallway and out of the Babcock family apartment.

 

Norman was sitting on the arm of one of the couches in the living room, the tablet the school had assigned to him in his hands. He was rushing a last minute essay for his advanced history class, which was due that day. Some sort of sound acknowledging his friends' presence escaped his chapped lips as his skinny fingers flew across the screen.

 

Dipper sat back on the couch beside the boy and rubbed his eyes. "I'm too tired to function today," he muttered as he tried to hold back a yawn. 

 

"At least it's the weekend after this," Mabel chimed before flopping back onto the cushions next to the boys.

 

Norman cracked a smile. "Are you on for another movie marathon this weekend, Dip? I was thinking we could check into the ship's database and see if there's any updates," he offered.

 

Groaning, Dipper moved his hands away from his eyes. "I'd love to, but Grunkle Ford is making us go with him on a pod trip. Something relating to his studies, I guess. We'll be gone all weekend."

 

Norman's smile faded. "Oh," he murmured. "We can do it another time, though. Or maybe we could do it over tablets," the boy suggested. 

 

"Yeah," Dipper nodded. "We'll work it out."

 

Once Norman had finished his essay, the trio left the apartment and strolled to the nearest train stop. Every weekday at 8:05, the public transit would make its way around the living level of the ship and carry students and employees to the learning and agriculture centers of _Gravity._  


 

The train ride, as well as the rest of the day rolled by quickly. There wasn't much about this Friday that made it any different from the others Norman had experienced. At lunch, Dipper had split an energy bar with him while they half-listened to the news broadcast that aired every day on the monitors near their table. Mabel had her old, bulky polaroid camera out (she'd found it mixed in with her uncle Ford's stuff and insisted it was better than any digital camera) and had snapped a few shots of various subjects in the cafeteria. Their afternoon studies were the same as always, complete with Dipper's terrible puns and long, boring videos. 

 

When the time for the twins to leave finally showed up, Norman stood at the pod loading dock with them.

 

  
_Gravity_ had small ships (pods) that could be rented out and drift away near the main vessel for a few days. It was almost like camping from what Norman had experienced, and he'd even gone with the twins and their great uncle Stanley once.  

 

Mabel stood on her toes to reach up and pat the top of Norman's spiky hair. However, she struggled a bit, considering she was a good seven or eight inches shorter than him, and ended up smacking her hand against his forehead. "Don't be so glum, Normy. We'll be back on Monday!" She chirped as she bounced on her heels.

 

"Damn. I don't know how I'm going to manage without you personally waking me up at 7 AM for two whole days," Norman teased, which got him a pretend-offended squeak from the Pines girl.

 

Dipper laughed quietly as he helped one of his uncles with loading a heavy trunk into the tiny vessel. "Grunkle Ford, do you _really_ need all of the journals in this?" He huffed as they set the box down inside of the pod. "It's only going to be a weekend trip."

 

"It's more than just journals," Ford Pines replied. "Testing instruments, which, by the way, you should be careful with! And you can never be too prepared." 

 

"Well," Stan butt in. "I think that's the last of Ford's science crap. You kids ready to hit the road?" He looked between his niece of nephew.

 

Dipper and Mabel both nodded.

 

"I'll message you later, Norman!" Dipper smiled before waving and ducking inside the pod.

 

"Bye, Norman!" Mabel turned to follow her twin, but paused. She reached and pulled the piece of gum in her mouth out before sticking it on the tall boy's crooked nose. He cringed. 

 

"Gross!" Norman immediately flicked the gum onto the ground.

 

"Something to remember us by! If Grunkle Ford's sciencey stuff bores me to death, use my DNA to make a clone of me!" Mabel snorted as she was ushered into the vehicle by one of her uncles. 

 

Norman stood alone on the platform as he heard the soft whirring of the machinery underneath him. He watched the Pines drift towards the opening to the airlock, not knowing that it would be his last time seeing them for a while.

 

* * *

"And our top story today, a possible pod malfunction outside of the ship."

 

Norman's gaze flicked up at one of the monitors mounted on the wall near the lunch table he and the Pines always sat at. Two of his friends from his trigonometry class sat beside him, still quietly chattering.

 

"Pod number 6180 has been officially deemed missing as of 8:32 am today. Officials haven't been able to find a signal or contact the family inside all morning, but additional search parties have already been sent out to find them." The image of a reporter cut to an administrator standing at a podium.

 

"Three search parties have been sent out to look for the family in the past hour. We suspect there may have been a malfunction with the auto-pilot feature that caused it to drift out of the ship's range," a woman spoke, looking straight into the camera. There was a glimmer of sadness in her eyes.

 

His jaw dropped. His fork fell into his salad, clinking as it met the plate.

 

"Norman? What's wrong?" Salma Ramsay turned towards him, a questioning look on her face.

 

The medium simply nodded towards the monitor.

 

Salma shifted to see what was troubling him and paused.

 

"T-that's the pod Dipper's... Dipper and Mabel are in. They were supposed to get back this morning. But-" Norman didn't look away from the monitor. "They're missing?"

 

By now, the story had changed to an update on a new irrigation system in the farming section.  _I need to know more!_ Norman thought as he pushed his plate away. What if the search parties couldn't find them? They'd be stranded out in the empty space for days, weeks. Eventually, they'd run out of food or power and-

 

"Hey, it's okay!" Neil Downe quickly shushed Norman in an attempt to calm him down.

 

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Last time they found the pod within a couple of hours, and they should have enough food to last them weeks," Salma pointed out. "Don't freak out yet."

 

  
_Don't freak out? My best friend and his family are lost outside of the ship without any way to contact the ship, and you want me to stay calm?_ Instead of saying what was on his mind, Norman simply nodded. "Yeah," he murmured.

 

He ended up heading home early with a nurse's note. Norman simply couldn't focus in class with the news he'd heard making him uneasy. 

* * *

 

Despite what Salma had said, a week passed with no word on the missing pod and its location. 

 

Another three passed before they called off the search and deemed the family dead.

 

The memorial service was on a Thursday morning. Norman noticed most of their classmates were attending, and he wondered if they were truly upset over the loss of the family, or if they were just using the event as an excuse to cut class. 

 

He wore his suit for the first time since the school dance he'd attended the year before (which he didn't even dance at). It was stiff and a bit uncomfortable compared to his usual hoodies and jeans. Courtney had agreed to attend the service with him, knowing it was probably best that he didn't go alone. 

 

  
_Gravity_ 's event hall was spacious, wide with high ceilings, enough room for any party, service, or funeral. Norman had only been in it twice, once for a wedding between one of his favorite teachers and one of the ship's engineers, and then again for the funeral for sweet old Katherine Wallace. He and Courtney sat in the folding chairs near the back of the room.

 

Norman kept his head down as the lights dimmed and the ship's captain and officials stepped up to a podium near the front. He tried his best to hold in any tears, not wanting to cry around so many people. There'd been a large turnout of people, nearly every seat in the room filled.

 

"Passengers, friends, family," the captain started, reading from a pre-written speech placed in front of her. "We gather here today to remember and honor those who have been tragically lost recently." The screen behind her flickered to life and displayed an image. Norman felt a lump in his throat as he looked up.

 

"Stanley Pines," the captain murmured. The medium in the audience quickly recognized the picture of the old man as one Mabel had taken. Stan was smiling wide, showing his fake teeth and wearing that tacky fez he kept from his old business on Earth.

 

The image shifted.

 

"Stanford Pines," she continued. Ford looked exhausted, heavy bags under his eyes giving away the fact that he hardly ever slept, but he still managed to give the camera a small smile. Norman inhaled a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

 

Shift.

 

"Mabel Pines," the captain's voice seemed to echo in his mind.  _Don't open your eyes,_ Norman told himself just before his gaze returned to the screen. One of Mabel's selfies was on display for all to see, and he noticed others were holding back their own tears at this point. Her candy colored earrings were peaking out from underneath her dark curls, and she was wearing one of her favorite sweaters. He balled his hands into fists and forced himself to look away.

 

His heart sunk.

 

He knew what was coming next.

 

Shift.

 

"and Dipper Pines." 

 

  
_Don't. Look. Up._ Norman sighed shakily and through his blurring vision, he finally saw the Pines boy. He'd been with the twins when Mabel had snapped the shot of her sibling. They'd been hanging out at the park near the apartment buildings just before curfew. His cheeks were rosy and his brown eyes were scrunched up as he smiled in an almost obnoxious way. His curls hid the constellation-shaped birthmark Norman knew was there and had seen so many times. Norman was suddenly hit with the memory of sitting in the artificial grass with him, listening to the swingsets squeak and groan nearby and the taste of the peach ice cream they'd bought on his lips.

 

He rose to his feet quickly and squeezed past some people he didn't even recognize to get to the exit. Norman could tell people were watching him, a uncomfortable, prickling feeling he hadn't felt in so long but certainly hadn't forgotten. The heavy doors creaked as he shoved them open and made his way out into the open air.

 

Norman leaned over the railing of a balcony outside and choked out a quiet sob. 

 

* * *

 

The Monday after the memorial service, Norman was walking home from the transit stop after school, heavy schoolbag sagging off of his bony shoulders. He kept his head down as he moved, hoping that if anyone saw him, they wouldn't speak with him. The boy definitely wasn't in the mood for conversations.

 

When he entered the row of apartments that both he and the Pines had lived in, he paused.

 

Apartment 320's door was wide open. The former home of Dipper and Mabel.

 

Next thing he knew, the medium was sprinting towards the home. He wasn't sure who or what was in there, and he knew it wasn't like the family would be returning, but he had to make sure their stuff was safe.

 

As he stepped into their living room, two men in baggy jumpsuits whipped their heads around to face him.

 

There was a moment of silence.

 

"Can we help you?" One of the men tucked the clipboard in his hands under an arm and narrowed his eyes at Norman.

 

Norman shifted uncomfortably and took a quick glimpse around. Certain furniture was still where it had always been, but the process of packing up smaller items had already begun. "T-their stuff... Where is it going?" He asked, looking back at the guy with the clipboard and noticed he had a nametag. Christopher.

 

"We've been assigned to move all this junk out of here so someone else can move in. There's a waiting list, y'know," Christopher replied, clearing his throat. "You're not supposed to be in here."

 

"But you can't just move it-"

 

"Kid, the people that lived here are dead. Not coming back. Ever," the other man interrupted (whom Norman realized was named Kale). "Leaving their stuff isn't going to do any good," he bit.

 

Norman sucked in a worried breath. They had a point. It didn't make any sense for them to leave their belongings in there to collect dust. Quickly, he fished his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out twenty dollars.

 

"Give me ten minutes alone in here and I-I'll leave you alone," he croaked. 

 

Kale and Christopher exchanged glances before shrugging. "I could use a break," Kale mumbled as they both left Norman alone in the small room.

 

Slowly, Norman let his bag slide off of his arms and onto the carpet. He sat on the edge of the sofa, sighing softly. He ran his hands through his hair, smoothing it back before letting it fly back up. 

 

_Not coming back. Ever._

He rose to his feet again and carefully picked a picture frame off of a bookshelf by the door. Mabel had made the frame out of popsicle sticks and buttons, and the picture inside was one of their great uncles. Norman slipped it into his bag. 

 

Norman knew he probably wasn't allowed to take the items from the house, but it was also hard to resist. He started his last walk through the apartment, stopping in Mabel's bedroom first.

 

Christmas lights similar to his own were tacked to the walls. The room was a bit messy, and he had to step over piles of knitting supplies and a half-finished painting on a canvas just to get into the space. He crossed his arms tight over his chest, nostalgia overwhelming him. How many times had he sat on that bed, watching cheesy movies with the twins or receiving a loud and glamorous makeover from Mabel? Just as he was about to leave, a shoebox sitting on her desk caught his eye. It was where she kept her polaroids.

 

Norman slid the box under one arm. He couldn't just let them take away all of these old photos!

 

He left the room, trying to stay calm and collected. Norman paused in front of Stan's door in the hallway, thinking over whether he wanted to check out his space or not. It had always been off limits. He decided against it and kept moving.

 

Ford's room was more of a study and less of a bedroom. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, and a workbench was placed in the back. The old man slept on a small futon instead of a proper bed to make room for it all. Norman recalled all of the times he and Dipper had sat on the floor, looking through different textbooks (the idea of actual books kept there was unexpected, considering most people read digitally nowadays) or working on their homework assignments.

 

Norman looked out at Dipper's room across the hall. He'd left the door open.

 

_Do I go in?_

 

He hesitated, but finally made his way over to the other bedroom. Norman leaned in the doorway.

 

Dirty laundry was overflowing out of a basket. The sheets on his bed were ruffled and unmade. A few mystery novels had been left on the desk in the corner, and his laptop was still plugged in and waiting to be used. Dipper had left his school bag on the ground by the closet, the same spot where he always did. Mabel had painted a mural on the wall, a beautiful set of constellations standing out against everything else.

 

What bothered Norman was that despite the fact that they'd been gone for so long, the house looked as it always did. The only thing out of place was the family that lived there.

 

_They're really gone. They're never coming back, I'm never going to see them ag-_

 

He heard the front door open and trailed back out to the living room. The two movers had returned. 

 

"Alright kid, you've gotta get out now-"

 

"I know," he mumbled before snatching up his backpack. "Thank you."

 

* * *

 

Norman shifted on the mattress back in his room and closed his eyes.

 

In that tiny little bedroom of his aboard a large space ship the size of an entire city, the medium started to think about how his life had been up to that point.

 

He'd always been an outcast back in Blithe Hollow. Bullies loved to pick on him, that was clear. Sometimes Norman even wondered if things would have been the same way even if he weren't a medium. Would people still hate him? _Probably,_ he thought. He wasn't particularly smart (he passed his classes with good grades, but he wasn't as intelligent as some of his friends) or handsome (crooked nose, thick brows, big ears he was so incredibly self conscious about). 

 

Norman had known and lost a lot of people during his 16 years of life. His grandmother had died when he was young. She'd really left him just after the letter from the space program arrived, informing them that they would be boarding the ship later that year. He remembered watching her image crackle and fizz out in bright light as her spirit passed on to the other side. He had other relatives die, too, but he wasn't very close with them. Distant uncles or great-great grandmothers. Then there was the whole situation with the Pines family.

 

And now he was living up in space, feeling more alone and confused than ever. The end of high school was approaching, and he didn't even know what he wanted to do with his life. He didn't have a lot of friends, his family was always busy, school took a lot out of him...

 

He pulled the blankets closer, realizing that for the past 92 days, he had been trapped in a rut, one that would be hard for him to get out of.

 

 


	2. The Sun

 

_This is the last place I'll see._

 

Big brown eyes closed as Dipper's forehead met the glass of one of the round windows next to him. The view he had once found beautiful was now irritating and filled him with some sort of sense of loneliness and dread. Stars outside of the pod twinkled miles away, creating a beautiful scene that he was tired of.

 

_They're probably not even looking for us anymore._

 

Three months had passed since they'd lost contact with Gravity. Three months had passed since he'd last been at home. Three months since he'd ridden the public transit to school, since he'd attended class, since he'd slept in his own bedroom, since he'd eaten something that wasn't chalky, artificial, and marked with a label dubbing it 'nutritious'. Three months had passed since he'd last seen Norman Babcock.

 

_I wonder how Norman's doing._

 

That was the gist of the questions Dipper asked himself nearly every day. 'What do you think Norman is up to right now?' 'Is Norman getting enough sleep?' 'Does Norman miss me?' He hadn't been away from the boy for this long since they'd met, and he didn't realize how much he cared about him. They spent practically every second together.

 

_God._

 

Dipper turned back to look at his sister, who was curled up on one of the two cots in their bedroom. The pod reminded him of an RV, similar to the one Grunkle Stan bought when they lived on Earth. He and Mabel got the tiny additional room near the back, while their uncles slept on the fold out beds in the main cabin. As much as he loved his family, he had started to grow tired of them weeks ago.

 

Being away from _Gravity_ had given him a lot of time to think and talk and sort out the problems plaguing him. The only problem now was that he couldn't put their solutions into action.

* * *

Dipper's first day of the eighth grade was busy and a bit overwhelming.

 

He lost Mabel in a crowd by the gymnasium, and he had no idea where his homeroom class was. The teenagers around him were chattery and kept shoving each other around in the halls, making it hard for him to concentrate. Clenching his fists around the straps of his backpack, he pushed his way to the washroom at the end of the long corridor.

 

As he let out a relieved sigh, Dipper leaned against the tiled walls. The throng of kids had started to give him serious anxiety, and it was nice to break away from it for even just a moment. Besides, he still had ten minutes before he had to report to class.

 

Dipper closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He almost didn't notice the door squeaking open and closed. One eye peeked open to see who had walked in.

 

Norman Babcock shuffled in, and Dipper noticed that the boy's hoodie was covered with a slimy pastel stain. The poor boy looked miserable as he kept his head down and reached for the paper towels.

 

"Norman?" Dipper spoke up.

 

The younger boy's eyes widened, as if he was surprised by Dipper. His cheeks grew red, likely from embarrassment. "Oh, uh..." He glanced away. "Hi, Dipper."

 

"What's with the stain?" Dipper asked. It kind of reminded him of the time he and Mabel had seen a unicorn get sick in the woods, and he grimaced. 

 

"It's nothing," Norman quickly mumbled as he started to dab at the mess with the paper.

 

"Nothing?" Dipper raised a brow. "That doesn't look like nothing."

 

Norman shrugged and kept dabbing at the stain. "Some kid dumped their breakfast on me. That's all."

 

Dipper groaned. "People can be such jerks sometimes," he muttered as he plopped his bag on the ground.

 

"I'm sure it was an accident," Norman murmured, even though they both knew that the smoothie spilled all over his jacket had been purely intentional. 

 

"Here, let me help you." Dipper pumped out more paper towels and stepped closer to the other boy. Carefully, he wiped at the jacket. He didn't notice the tiny smile Norman showed. 

 

Dipper had decided the week before that he didn't like Norman. That was mostly because something seemed suspicious about the younger kid from Massachusetts. The last person Mabel had befriended named Norman had turned out to be a stack of gnomes that tried to kidnap her. He wasn't ready to trust this stranger. But now? He wasn't just going to let him get bullied on the first day of school.  He wasn't that heartless.

 

"Thanks, Dipper," Norman stammered as he wadded up the napkins and tossed them in the garbage can. The only evidence of the mess was the strong scent of strawberries that hung over him. 

 

"No problem," he replied. 

 

Just as Norman turned to leave the restroom, Dipper tapped his shoulder. For a moment, Norman looked confused. 

 

"Hey, so, uh... Do you maybe want to sit with my sister and me at lunch today?" Dipper asked, feeling a tad awkward. "I mean, you don't have to, of course, if you don't want to. I don't think you'll get any food dumped on you if Mabel can help it."

 

Norman's look of confusion turned into surprise. "I'd like that."

 

  
_Maybe he's not so bad,_ Dipper thought as they pushed the heavy wooden door open and headed back out into the hall.

* * *

 

School dances had never been Dipper's thing.

Thankfully, school dances had never been Norman's thing, either, which meant that Dipper would have someone to sit with at their social circle's table.

"How much longer 'till it's over?" Dipper asked his friend, who glimpsed down at the watch around his wrist.

"Hour and a half."

Dipper buried his head in his hands, moaning in melodramatic agony. "I can't believe we let Mabel talk us into buying tickets for this."

The theme of the event was 'Under the Sea', something the dance planning committee had come up with last minute because they couldn't settle on any other ideas. ("So original," Norman had bit when the flyers had been put up at school. "I wonder who the _genius_ behind this idea was!")

"I think you could use more starfish punch," Norman teased. 

"I think I could use a walk. My butt's going numb from sitting in these shitty chairs for an hour," Dipper complained before rising to his feet. "Wanna come with?"

Norman stood and pushed his chair in. "Yeah." 

They weaved along the edge of the dance floor, pushing past couples twisting and grooving along together. Norman held the seafoam colored streamers hanging from the event hall's doors. Dipper glanced back over his shoulder, getting one last look at the dance.

The air outside was the same temperature as always, but the large light that hung overhead had been dimmed now that it was evening. Dipper could hear the loud music thumping from inside still, now muffled by the building's thick walls. 

"It always feels so quiet out here," Norman turned to look at Dipper as they headed down the sidewalk.

Dipper nodded. "No cars. No traffic."

"No ghosts," Norman added.

  
_Huh,_ Dipper thought. He'd never considered the possibility of ghosts causing so much sound. It made sense, he supposed. There would be more people trying to communicate, a whole other population of people trying to get their words out.  "I never thought of it like that," he murmured. "What's it gonna be like when we get back to Earth? Suddenly dealing with them again?"

Norman crammed his hands in his pocket. "I dunno. I kind of miss talking to them every now and then, I guess. When I was a kid, most of my friends were ghosts. The ones I knew were always so friendly," he answered. "It'll take a while to adjust to all of the noise, though."

"When we get back to Earth..." Dipper couldn't believe the thought had never struck him. "College. General life after all of this. I mean, we'll be... Other sides of the country, probably." They hadn't talked about college all that much. They still had at least another year left in school together, and two years left on the ship.

"I was considering school on the west coast, actually. Or east, I mean. Wherever you want to go."

"You want to go to school with me?" Dipper beamed. 

Norman blushed and hung his head. "I mean, yeah. You and Mabel are my best friends. I'd die if we couldn't at least see each other now and then." 

By now they'd entered the shopping district. Glowing neon signs blinked and flickered above them, advertising boutiques and electronics shops and sports stores. The two teens strolled down the street before eventually winding up inside an ice cream parlor. Dipper could hardly contain his smile.

* * *

The light on Dipper's tablet blinked when he woke up, warning him that signal had been lost.

 

Groggily, he lifted his head off of his pillow. _Internet must be down,_ he thought. Dipper slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, wondering if Ford and Stan were up yet. His sister was sprawled out on her bed, snoring softly. They were supposed to be heading home today. It was Monday, meaning that he and Mabel both got to miss most of the school day. Part of him was worried about the assignments he was missing, but at the same time, he was happy to be free of classes for another day.

 

Dipper crawled out of bed and wandered out into the pod's main cabin to find something to eat. The clock on the stove read that it was 10:22 am, and he was honestly surprised that he was the only one awake. He and Mabel had both stayed up late the night before binge-watching an old TV show while she practiced painting his nails, however, and he figured it was best to let her sleep. Mabel's chatter and occasional swear when she messed a technique up probably kept their uncles up, too.

 

He pulled the pantry door open. The kitchen had been stocked well before they'd left. Even though it was only a weekend trip, there was enough supplies to last them quite a while. There was even a backup supply of chalky energy bars in case they ran out of other meals. Dipper ended up making himself toast and sat at the small table near his room.

 

One thing he enjoyed about pod trips was the fact that he could look out of the windows at the stars. Back on _Gravity,_ the only window accessible to the public was near the library. It was tall, stretching from the  floor to the ceiling. When they'd first launched, Dipper spent hours on end sitting and watching with Mabel (and eventually Norman).

 

As he bit into his breakfast, Dipper noticed a flashing light above the pod's front door. Curiously, he pushed his chair aside and approached it as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake Stan and Ford.

 

He squinted. There were four lights, three turned off. Each one had a line of text beside it.

 

**POWER LOW**

**FUEL LOW**

**OXYGEN LOW**

**SIGNAL LOST**

The "SIGNAL LOST" light was flashing, and Dipper felt the worry bubble up in his stomach. Over the years, he'd taken dozens of trips like this with his family. This had never happened before. 

 

"Grunkle Ford!" He turned towards his great uncle, who was passed out on the sofa.

 

Ford shifted and opened an eye. "What is it?"

 

"Something about a signal lost," Dipper stepped aside so the man could see.

 

His uncle's eyes suddenly widened and he scrambled out of bed to join Dipper. "Signal lost?" He repeated frantically. "That can't be right." Ford reached for the old radio system mounted on the wall.

 

Dipper bit his nails as he watched the man. By now, Mabel and Stan had both gotten up and out of bed, and were shooting each other nervous glances. 

 

"There's nothing there," Ford huffed.

 

"So what now? The autopilot feature connects to the ship to bring us back," Mabel frowned.

 

Ford leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his grey hair. "We'll just have to wait for it to pick up again, I suppose," he muttered. 

 

"And how long will that take?" Stan asked, raising a brow.

 

"A few hours at most. I'm not entirely sure," his brother replied.

 

More than a few hours had passed without any return of their signal, and it didn't look like it was coming back anytime soon.

 

* * *

"Mabel, you're good with r-romance stuff, right?" Dipper asked his sister early on a Saturday morning. They'd been stranded for a week and a half now.

 

The brunette's eyes widened and she was suddenly grinning so wide that Dipper could see the bit of powdery protein bar stuck in her braces.  "What's this I hear? My little brother has a crush?" Mabel closed the sketchpad in her lap and inched closer to him.

 

"Now hold on, I didn't say that-"

 

"Who is it, Dippin' Dots? Wait, wait! Let me guess! Is it Neil? You've always had a thing for redheads-"

 

"I don't have a crush on Neil! Or anybody!" Dipper cut her off. Mabel frowned in response and he sighed. "Well, I mean, it's not... It's not a full-blown, legitimate crush, I guess," he mumbled under his breath.

 

Mabel waggled a brow at her brother and elbowed his side while trying (and failing) to contain her grin.

 

"I think I like Norman."

 

A loud, over-dramatic gasp escaped Mabel's mouth before she punched Dipper's arm. "Shut up!" She gushed. "That's so cute! Are you gonna tell him? You have to tell him when we get back!"

 

Dipper immediately shut her down. "Are you crazy? I can't do that!" He bit. "That's not an option. What if he doesn't like me back? He's not going to want to hang around me if he knows I'm into him like that... It's just a bad idea. Never mind. Forget I asked," he huffed before turning away from his sister.

 

"Wait, wait, wait! Dipper!" Mabel protested. "Norman's not the kind of guy to just blow you off for some romantic feelings like that. He wouldn't care about that," she started. "And besides, he might even like you back. You don't know that he doesn't."

 

The Pines boy bit his lip. 

 

"That's the thing about love like this. You've just gotta jump on in without knowing what's gonna happen! That's the fun part." Mabel reached over and ruffled his messy hair before getting up from her spot on his bed and pushing her way out into the main cabin, leaving him alone in their room.

 

Dipper buried his face in his pillow and let out a loud, frustrated groan.

 

* * *

 

Almost a month had passed since they'd lost contact with Gravity.

 

Dipper heard the soft, familiar  _click_ of their bedroom door opening behind him. He'd been lying in bed with his back turned to the rest of the room all afternoon.

 

"Hey," he heard his sister murmur.

 

He mumbled something back (he wasn't sure what he'd said exactly, maybe a 'hey' back or just some sort of noise acknowledging her greeting) but didn't turn to face her.

 

"Dip, you've gotta get out of that bed at some point," Mabel huffed. "You've been lying around all day... When was the last time you stood up? Ate? Drank water? Used the bathroom?"

 

"Gross," Dipper mumbled back.

 

"I've gotta make sure my bro-bro is staying healthy! C'mon. Get up and eat some breakfast! We can watch a movie, if you want. I still have some saved on my tab we haven't seen in a while."

 

The Pines boy shifted under the sheets and glimpsed back at his twin for a second. "I'll pass," he grumbled before turning back to his original position in bed.

 

"Dipper, please just eat something. Drink a glass of water. Pee. Get up and stretch. Just please, do anything that's not lying in that bed!" Mabel pleaded.

 

"Mabel, I'm fine!" Dipper snapped.

The silence between them made the room feel heavy, and he a pang of guilt struck him. Dipper turned again, considering apologizing this time, but Mabel cut him off."Dipper." She crossed her arms and frowned, giving her brother a look that made him almost want to get out of bed just to cheer her up. "Look, if something's bothering you, you can tell me or Stan or Ford... You know that, right?"He paused. "Yeah, I know.""Do you wanna talk about it now?" She asked, her voice cracking a little.His shoulders shook under the covers in some sort of awkward shrug, and Mabel sat on the edge of her own bed."It's everything." His voice sounded so tiny, so far away, Mabel almost didn't hear him."Everything?""Mabel, they're not coming for us! It's been a month and we can't even pick up a signal. No fuel, no signal, and eventually we'll run out of oxygen and power!"  He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. "We're never getting back on that ship. I'll never get to see Norman again," he whispered."Hold on a minute! Where is this coming from?" Mabel scooted over onto his side of the room.Dipper rolled back over onto his side. "It's just completely hopeless."His sister bit her lip in thought, trying to find the right words to say. She looked down at him."It's not completely hopeless, Dipping Sauce," Mabel huffed. "Look, I know you're scared. I am too. But we have to just keep trying and pushing ourselves. We can't worry about running out of supplies and power right now. Besides, Grunkle Ford's got it all budgeted out, and we should have another two or three months before we start running low on that stuff. I promise you, we'll make it out of this, and in a few years, we'll be laughing back on this whole situation!"Dipper seriously doubted he'd be laughing about being stranded in space in the future. He didn't say anything to her and simply shrugged under his blankets."So will you please get out of bed and make some lunch? I think we've got one more jar of peanut butter left in the pantry," Mabel said with a tiny smile. "I'll leave you alone for a while if you do."Dipper hesitated before throwing the covers aside. "Alright," he mumbled, forcing his own smile back.

* * *

_It's all really hopeless,_ Dipper thought. _My last meal is going to be a goddamn nutrition bar and a glass of water. Norman's never gonna know how I feel. I'm not going to graduate high school or college._

 

He'd wondered often what it would be like dying on the ship. Would they starve or run out of food first? Would the generators still work, or would they die in total darkness?

 

Maybe there was still some chance left of them being rescued.

 

Dipper shook the thoughts away, both the negative and the positive. What he needed was rest. Mabel would start lecturing him if she found out he'd stayed up all night again. 

 

He slipped back underneath the covers in his bed and closed his eyes, sighing softly.


	3. The Stars

 

  
Norman was sitting on the couch in his living room 104 days after he'd last seen the Pines twins, eating a bowl of cereal and watching the morning news. He wasn't too focused on the updates, not really interested in hearing about a charity run in the park or a daycare service extending their hours. Instead, Norman was more focused on finishing his breakfast before he had to leave to catch the transit.

Just as he stood up to put the bowl away and grab his backpack, he glimpsed back at the TV."Are you sure?" The news anchor's eyes widened, but she quickly nodded at someone off screen. "This just in?" Her expression showed total surprise. "A stranded pod was located within range of _Gravity_ just now, and it's possible that it may be the missing vessel 6180," she read from her paper. "Little information can be provided at this time, but we promise that we'll provide updates on this story whenever possible."In that moment, Norman felt his heart stop.His thought process went from  _they're back,_ to _no, they're not back,_ _that just might be their pod,_ to _but they could be alive still_ to _but they could also be dead_ to _get to the loading docks._ The medium fished his phone out of his pocket as he raced out the door. They'd bring in that pod and he'd truly get his answer to whether they were in there alive or not.He didn't want to get his hopes up, but how could he resist when it was the best information he'd heard on their case in months! Hell, everyone had assumed they were _dead!_

* * *

Dipper had been the last to wake up, and that was after Mabel burst into their bedroom, whooping and hollering.

Disoriented and confused, he rolled over to face her. _What could she be so damn happy about?_ He thought bitterly."Dipper! We can see the ship!" She cheered. "Ohmygod, we're back in range!" Mabel flopped backwards on his bed and pumped her fists up into the air."What?!" Dipper sat up quickly. "You're not joking?""Grunkle Ford is trying to radio them now! Stan noticed something blinking out over there when we were eating and-""Kids, get in here!" Stan barked from the main cabin. The twins jumped up and rushed out of the tiny space to see what was happening.Ford gestured for them to keep quiet as they heard a crackling bit of dialogue spurt from the speaker on the wall. "Hello? This is Stanford Pines, pod 6180, we're out of fuel but we're here!" He replied excitedly."...Pod location... Sending..." The audio was muffled and hard to understand. One word, however, was clear to the Pines family."Rescue."Dipper wondered if he was having a wild dream. He expected he was going to wake up any second, and really be stranded still. But if this was all true, it meant that he would live beyond the age of 17, that his last meal likely wouldn't be one of those powdery nutrition bars he'd grown to hate so much, that he would get to graduate high school and college, and lastly, that he would get to see Norman Babcock again."Kids, round up your things," Ford instructed. "They're probably just going to bring us home in another pod."The twins shot each other excited glances before dashing back to their bedroom.

 

* * *

Norman stood impatiently on the loading dock, growing frustrated with the officials in charge of the shift. They weren't giving him any information on pod 6180, and they told him he would have to wait with everyone else if he was expecting greet someone returning from a trip.

There was only one other family on the dock, and they were loading luggage into their own vessel. He shuffled over to a bench, wondering how long it would be before someone yelled at him for cutting class and made him go to school.The medium sat.And waited.And waited. _Maybe I should just go home,_ he thought. _It's probably gonna be a while, and-_ Up ahead of him, a pod drifted slowly up to the dock, one marked with 234 in big black paint. Norman glimpsed up at it and held his breath. _Is it them?_ With a soft click, the pod met the platform and the door opened.A loud "Yes!" echoed across the dock, and out stumbled Mabel Pines. She tripped and her chin met the pavement. Four workers in uniforms, Stanford, Stanley, and Dipper followed.Norman jumped up from the bench and ran across the platform, a million thoughts running through his head.Dipper looked up.Their eyes met, and the Pines boy was running back towards his best friend, but not before Mabel could get up and hug Norman."Normy!" She yelped excitedly, as if she didn't even notice her scraped chin and the blood resting on her lips.Norman squeezed her back, beaming. Mabel looked like she'd been through hell; her long, curly hair was tangled and messy, her once-bright eyes now had bags around them, but her smile was still wide and her hugs were still tight and loving.Mabel pulled back and stepped aside to let the boys be alone.Dipper looked like a different person. Norman barely recognized him. He'd lost a lot of weight, his soft arms and stomach slimmed down. His hair had grown out more, his bangs now coming close to his eyes. He looked absolutely exhausted, but Norman was overwhelmed with relief in knowing that he was okay.Norman practically collapsed into the older boy's arms, and they were frozen like that for what felt like the longest time."I missed you," Dipper croaked.Norman's expression melted into a warm smile, and he whispered back, "I missed you, too."

 

* * *

The library was nearly empty as the boys sat down on the ground in front of the tall window, small smiles on their faces. It was quiet, peaceful. 

Dipper swallowed the lump in his throat nervously and rested his chin on his knees as he stared out at the stars, trying to decide whether he would confess to Norman that he had a crush on him. For a moment, he truly wondered if he was dreaming again. _Well,_ he thought, _if this is a dream, I might as well make it a good one._

Just as the older boy opened his mouth to speak, he was cut short by Norman. The medium was looking straight ahead out the window.

 

"Dipper, I need to tell you something." Norman hung his head down, his hands folded in his lap. "I hope it doesn't sound weird, o-or this messes with our friendship, and you don't have to, y'know, feel the same way or anything, but I-"

 

"I like you, too," Dipper blurted out.

 

For a second, there was an awkward silence that felt like hours to Dipper.

 

"You do?" Norman raised a brow, surprised as he looked up at the older boy beside him.

 

Dipper nodded, feeling his cheeks grow hot. He nodded quickly. 

 

"Well, god, that's a relief," Norman murmured. Dipper could just hear the smile in his voice. "I was kind of worried for a moment."

 

"So this makes us...?"

 

"Friends. Boyfriends. Boyfriends, I mean, if you're cool with that, because I'm cool with that."

 

Dipper's fingers fumbled to find Norman's. "I'm cool with that."

 

Alone in the library in the light of thousands of stars, Dipper leaned closer, finally getting to do what he'd dreamed of for three months. Norman wrapped an arm around him, and they pressed closer, reunited at last.

 

"Can I kiss you?" Dipper whispered.

 

Norman, at this point, was as red as the sneakers on his feet. He glanced over at Dipper and smiled wider than Dipper had ever seen him smile before.

 

"I'd like that."


End file.
